Women activists enter Haji Ali dargah

November 29, 2016

Mumbai, Nov 29: Marking a victory for campaign for gender equality in places of worship, a group of women activists today entered the sanctum sanctorum of Haji Ali dargah here and offered prayers.

hajiThe entry by members of Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA) into the mausoleum came more than a month after the Haji Ali Dargah Trust told the Supreme Court it will allow women inside the inner sanctum of the shrine. Women devotees' entry into it was banned a few years ago.

"Around 400 women from BMMA today went to the dargah. We also offered a 'chaadar' (shawl) there and paid our respects to the saint," Zakia Soman, co-founder of BMMA, told PTI.

She said the trustees were very courteous and did not resist their entry into the sanctum sanctorum of the dargah, one of the famous landmarks of Mumbai.

"On the contrary, they offered us tea and spoke to us for some time. Their welcoming stand towards women is a great moral victory for us," she said.

The Bombay High Court had in August lifted the ban on women from entering the inner area of the dargah, saying it contravenes Articles 14, 15 and 25 (dealing with fundamental rights) of the Constitution.

BMMA, an NGO, was one of the petitioners which had challenged the ban, imposed by the Haji Ali Trust in 2012, in the High Court. The 2012 ban was based on the trust's notion that it is a "grievous sin" to let women into the inner area.

In early October, the trust moved the Supreme Court challenging the HC order. However in late October, the trust climbed down from its earlier stand and told the apex court it will grant access to women in the prohibited area.

The dargah, said to date back 600 years, is a popular religious place located on an island off South Mumbai. It houses a mosque and the tomb of Muslim saint Sayed Peer Haji Ali Shah Bukhari and is visited by people of all faiths.

Women's rights activist Trupti Desai had led a well publicised campaign seeking equal access to female devotees in places of worship, including the dargah.

After the HC order in August, she offered prayers at the shrine, but did not enter its core area.

Comments

shaji
 - 
Thursday, 1 Dec 2016

BMMA is a financially supported organisation of RSS and the founder lady is wife of one RSS leader. She has managed to lure and fool some uneducated and poor ladies by giving money. she has nothing to do with Islam or Muslims. She did not cry while thousands of muslim women were raped and killed in Gujarat. she is not crying for the mother of Najeeb. this lady is a liar.

SHAHID
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2016

All the darga worshippers are innocent and dont have the proper knowledge of islam, they just follow the foothold of their elders... and majority of darga worshippers are illiterate, in islam worship place only one its masjid and its permissible in islam for women to enter in mosque and pray......in islam darga doesnt exist then where is the question of entering women to darga....if you enter darga and worship you have comited shirk and it takes you away from islam

Sadik
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2016

BMMA is wing of RSS and women head of BMMA she is wife of RSS extremists.
Darga is not in Islam. This RSS women using innocent Muslim women for political gain. Dont be scapegoat and stick to deen.

Ahmed K./C.
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2016

17 times a day in fardh salat alone we recite sura al fatiha, and one of the sentence is:-
\You (alone) we worship, and you (alone) we ask for help.\"

Even those who visit and seek something in DARGA also in prayers recite the same verse as above.

ARE THEY LYING TO ALLAH ???????????????"

Althaf
 - 
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2016

Entering Darga or entering temple it is the same. If you worship anything except Allah then destination will be HELL.
May allah guide our muslims. Darga is a place of shirk and khurafath.
There is no relation between islam and darga

Abdul
 - 
Tuesday, 29 Nov 2016

There is no \DARGA\" System in ISLAM. People should seek anything from only Allah. May Allah guide right path to all Muslims."

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News Network
June 15,2020

Davanagere, Jun 15: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu was on Monday seen without face mask at an event in Davanagere amid COVID-19 crisis in the country.

The Minister was attending the wedding ceremony of son of former minister Parameshwar Naik at Hagaribommanahalli in Davanagere.

This is not the first time that Sriramulu has flouted the norms for preventing the spread of COVID-19. He took part in a procession in Chitradurga on June 2 and flouted social distancing norms. He was seen surrounded by several supporters while a big garland was being offered to him.

The state has reported 6,245 COVID-19 cases including 2,977 cured, 3,196 active cases and 72 deaths.

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News Network
April 29,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 29: Indian women have always been the epitome of beauty, strength, and intelligence. Today, the success of Indian women across various walks of life has proven that they have earned this reputation.

One such dedicated social worker is Dr Sunitha Manjunath, the Founder of 'Sumanaa Foundation' of Sanjay Nagar in Bengaluru.

Sumanaa Foundation, based out of Sanjay Nagar in Bengaluru has been on the forefront to support people in distress due to COVID-19. 

The foundation under the leadership of its founder Dr Sunitha Manjunath procured a total of 20000 kgs of farm-fresh produce in four phases from farmers who are unable to sell it due to the COVID Lockdown and have distributed it across 6000 families across Bengaluru city.

"We have procured these vegetables after identifying farmers who are unable to sell their produce due to the challenges of lockdown.

This initiative not only supports the farmers by helping them get the right price for their produce, but also gives us an opportunity to get vegetables at a reasonable price by escaping all middlemen and commissions. We have identified 6000 poor families mainly around Bengaluru city who have not been able to earn their daily wages and given them coupons.

The foundation members identify genuine cases and give them coupons which can be redeemed in exchange of an essential vegetables kit," said Dr Sunitha Manjunath, the founder of Sumanaa Foundation.

These vegetables have been procured from Chikkaballapura, Doddaballapura, and surrounding villages and included vegetables like onions, tomatoes, capsicum, green chillies, beans, carrots, brinjal, potatoes, beetroots etc. These farmers got a fair price for their produce and were overjoyed to know that their harvest is being distributed free of cost to needy and deserving families.

Sumanaa Foundation has been actively supporting the city administration in fighting COVID-19 pandemic. In the recent weeks the foundation has distributed sanitisers and masks to BBMP Pourakarmikas.

The foundation also cooked food for over 400 people each day. This food was handed over to the city administration, which further distributed this to the police department and other staff working across government departments during these testing times.

Dr Sunitha, an engineer by qualification, had enjoyed a high-flying corporate career with BOSCH. She was offered a global role, which she turned down to setup her NGO, 'Sumanaa Foundation' and to serve the needy in and around her locality. Over the past seven years, the NGO with 70 members has done a wide range of activities to support the poor and needy in Bengaluru.

The core team of Sumanaa Foundation works under the leadership of its president Dr Sunitha Manjunath and includes young and energetic individuals like Manjunath K, Prakash K, Vidya Prakash, Sindu Gowda, Byregowda, Nishita Arjun, Arjun Varadaraj and Manoj Kumar
'Meal of Humanity' is a notable initiative of Dr Sunitha Manjunath and her team. Under this program, over 300 poor people are served mid-day meals every day. 

This is currently a self-sustained program with no external funding. Dr Sunitha Manjunath, her family members, and friends contribute their hard-earned money to bring smiles to hundreds of migrant workers and daily wage laborers.

'Wall of Humanity' is another unique concept implemented by Sumanaa Foundation. People can leave used or unnecessary daily use products like clothes, toys, groceries, etc at a designated area. This can be picked by anyone in need of these items. This self-helping model has touched the lives of hundreds of people in and around the area of Sanjay Nagar.

Regular blood donation camps, eye checkups, scholarship for students, tailoring machine distribution, environmental initiatives, Swacch Bharath programs, wall painting across the roadside are just a few among the hundreds of activities undertaken by Sumanaa Foundation regularly under the leadership of Dr Sunitha Manjunath and her team of friends.

"A life without an aim is worthless and so is a death without achievement. The aim of my life is to touch the lives of the hundreds of people who are not as privileged as you and me. I'd like to thank my husband Manjunath, my In-Laws and my friends from Sumanaa Foundation who work tirelessly alongside me across all our initiatives," said an elated Dr Sunitha Manjuanth on receiving the 'ET Power Icons' award for Excellence in Social Service and Public Initiatives.

Dr Sunitha Manjunath has also been awarded the prestigious 'Kempegowda Award' and many more such awards for her contribution to the society.

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News Network
February 27,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 27: About 60kg of unaccounted gold ornaments worth Rs. 21 crore were unearthed by officers of the Commercial Taxes Department of Karnataka Government.

The ornaments were recovered after the department conducted surprise inspections and raided business premises of wholesale jewellery dealers in Ranganatha Mansion and Sakalajee Market in Chickpet area of Bengaluru on Tuesday.

"The raid was based on information that many traders from other states visit the city and carry gold jewels without any valid documents and supply it to local jewellers without invoices," said Srikar MS Commissioner of Commercial Taxes in a statement.

The officers raided the premises of 23 jewellers and found 60 kg gold ornaments in stock which were not covered by valid documents. A penalty was levied on the undocumented ornaments.

"It is informed that the enforcement wing is keeping a close watch on the interstate movement of gold, silver and all the dealers in the state are hereby advised not to buy any goods without valid purchase invoices, added Srikar MS.

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